Eng-Tips is the largest engineering community on the Internet

Intelligent Work Forums for Engineering Professionals

Register Log in

Titles: Engineer vs. Designer 25

Status
Not open for further replies.
haggis

haggis

Mechanical
May 18, 2002
290
0
0
US
This has been beaten to death in the past but let's get some opinions.

Of course it makes perfect sense as to whether some of us have to be degreed or licensed depending on what field of endeavor we enter. But…..Let’s all get over the title thing as to whether one is entitled to call him/herself an engineer rather than a designer. As long as nobody misrepresents themselves as being degreed or licensed and practicing as such when in fact they are not. True, some jurisdictions have already reserved the title “engineer” solely for those who are licensed and it is wrong.

The American Medical Association have not yet objected to the terms lawn doctor or tree surgeon simply because these people are not implying they have a degree or a license.

At the end of the day if we’ve designed something that is of benefit to our way of life and done so in a safe and responsible manner, we can choose to say if we wish, we engineered it. Degreed, licensed or otherwise, we have all earned it and the number of years I have spent in the engineering community, I still find that we learn from each other constantly.


 
Replies continue below

Recommended for you

Sort by date Sort by votes
BobPE
I don't either, can you explain it. I have a Califoria PE and haven't compromised anyone or any project. If your read the California State Boards website they go after people all the time.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Let me see if I can explain mysef...for those of you that don't get it...

CA allows people without engineering degrees (high school diploma or anything else for that matter) to engineer for the public....New Jersey does not....hmmmmmm I see that as the problem, and in my opinion can safely make the assumption that I would feel rather safe in NJ....

You are right melone, now that I think about it more, that is not funny, it is sad.....

Bob
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
BobPE
Not true. Only people with a PE can engineer for the public. If the board decides to register someone with a high school diploma they can do so and that person can engineer for the public.
A person without a PE can call theirselves engineers ( but not PEs, REs etc) and can design whatever the law allows.
Its probably the same as NJ and lots of other places. Is every strip mall in NJ designed by a PE? NJ has some pretty good electricans with a lot of political clout. I'll bet there doing a lot more than you suspect.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
BJC, From my experience in different companies, I believe that's true. Other's may not think so. Just what I have seen/heard.

Chris
Sr. Mechanical Designer, CAD
SolidWorks 05 SP3.1 / PDMWorks 05
ctopher's home site (updated 06-21-05)

FAQ559-1100
FAQ559-716
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
BJC:

read the law...CA is one of the only states that I know of that allows this to happen....

And nope, PE's have it under better control in NJ than is CA. I don't think PE's need to design strip malls, Architects would take exception to that....and what do electricians have to do with the discussion??? just curious......

Bob
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
It happens in 4 other states I'm registerd in and in 3 that I was registerd in.
My point about electricans was that lots of stuff gets designed and built without a PE comming near the place.
I think being a PE is great. But the term engineer means more and includes a wider group of people than PEs. If it's coninually advocated that only PEs can use the term engineer there will be a public backlash and probably some consequences. The law is fine the way it is. We can have engineers and PEs. Burt Rutan can design planes, Dean Karmen can design Segways and they can put engineer on their business card. The guy that designs my kids school better be a registerd structural engineer as the law requires. Trying to protect or limit a profession legislatively won't work for engineers - were not in the same league with doctors and lawyers.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
melone...let me whip up an engineering study for you on that matter...i will get back to you.....


BJC:

the laws do not protect or limit the profession, they protect the public and they are by the public....and I agree that we are not in the same league as doctors and lawyers...I feel we are in a league above them...maybe that is why I have such an interesting time with other engineers that down play the profession....not saying that of you, I understand what you are saying and I am tryng to provide another opinion.

In my world it is simple...no one should be doing engineering but engineers, and all engineers should be licensed.....That is not to say that we do not need support in our endevours....these designers and technicians are a valuable tool in engineering, but they are not engineers....

Bob
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Tradespeople and Contractors are indeed allowed to engage in engineering within certain legally specified limits. It all depends upon the particular state in question.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
EddyC,
This may be the case now, but according to the gospel of Bob, it is wrong. It doesn't matter if you have 30 years experience, several master degrees, a few phd's and hundreds of patents that have revolutionized the way we live, if you aren't licensed, you should not be considered an engineer.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Oh my....I see light at the end of this tunnel!!!!!!Praise be.....and I might add to your list of positive credentials....have a high school diploma or for that matter no high school diploma....or master degrees in basket weaving or teaching or anything other than engineering....PhD's from third world countries...patents on dog food...

See where I am going.....the PE makes you cross a bar that all the unrelated and garbage credentials in the world cannot get you over unless they are the RIGHT ones....it is really that simple....

again...praise be!!!! LOL

Bob
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
ewh,

Its not the gospel of BobPE, its the law in many states, New Jersey for example. However in New York anyone can call themselves an engineer. But in New York you still need to be a PE to offer engineering services to the public (with some small exceptions as noted earlier). This doesn't impact someone like you since you are not offering engineering services to the public, but are an employee in a company with a manufactured product. We have many people at my place of employment who do engineering. Some are licensed but others are not. Those who are not licensed where I work are required to be under the supervision of a PE (My employer does offer engineering services to the public). The unlicensed folks where I work are allowed to call themselves engineers in New York but not in New Jersey. Its all dependent upon the particular state in question. I am more content with the New York model than with the New Jersey one, but it makes little difference to me as I am a PE in both states.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I want to get some feedback on this. I worked with a guy at CalTrans who had a BA in English, MS in Civil Engr (UC Davis) and a PE...can he call himself an Engineer?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Muhammad Ali
  • Locked
  • Question
New Immigrant Electrical Engineer in USA (FE Exam-EIT vs Masters) 1
Replies
4
Views
22
MintJulep
MintJulep
EngTal
  • Locked
  • Question
Career progression and learning as a Static equipment maintenance engineer
Replies
5
Views
28
BSMEclassof2012
BSMEclassof2012
rQuestionEngineering
  • Locked
  • Question
Thermodynamic Engineer - Turbomachinery design
Replies
3
Views
14
StrucPatholgst
StrucPatholgst
nisli-a
  • Locked
  • Question
Jr. Mech. Engineer Career Advice - Stay in it or Transition to Computer Eng/Science? 9
Replies
13
Views
31
CWB1
CWB1
rpho
  • Locked
  • Question
Masters Degree ME vs EE Advice 1
Replies
9
Views
14
IRstuff
IRstuff
Back
Top